Spring loaded guide track control assembly for double-hung windows



y 1957 E. E. ROBICHAU SPRING LOADED GUIDE TRACK CONTROL ASSEMBLY- FORDOUBLE-HUNG wmopws Filed Sept. 6, 1955 IN V EN TOR. E DWARD EARLROB/CHAU rromvsr United States atent 2,800,687 SPRING LOADED GUIDE TRACKcoNTRoL ASSEMBLY FOR DOUBLE-HUNG WINDOWS Edward Earl Robichau, sariDiego, Calif. 7 Application September '6 i955, Serial No. 552,583Claims. c1. at -s2 My invention relates to impfovenieiit's in springloaded guide track assemblies for each of a pair of double hung windows;and its objects are to secure improved operational control ofdouble-hung windows through novel means for guiding and maintainingtheir alignment and for obtaining better working clearance of the sashesthereof from the adjacent frames; to dispense with conventional sashweights, cords, pulleys and balances; to prevent binding of the sashesagainst each other 01f against the parting strip by means of theprovision of elements effecting a better working clearance between thesashes; to prevent canting and jamming of the window sashes throughspecially constructed and adjusted buffer springs afiixed to said sashesand positioned to make engaging contact with the channels of the guidetracks and spaced recesses therein; to reduce window rattling andprevent drafts through the utilization of lesser working clearance ineach guide track assembly and; applied spring pressure thereto; toconstruct each of the guide track assemblies with a channeled housing, abuffer spring afiixed thereto, and a track engaging with said bufi'erspring and channel of said housing, all of which parts are of metal, thesaid housing being secured to the outside face of the sash and the saidtrack being secured to the adjacent Window frame; to render the saidparts readily accessible outside of the sash for inspection, adjustment,replacement, renovation, removal, and repair; and in general to providea spring loaded guide track control assembly for double hung windows,which is simple, compact and economical of construction, efficient inaction and of long life and durability. My invention further consists ofother novel features of construction; and combinations and arrangementsof elements and parts illustrated in the drawing, and as hereinaftermore specifically described and claimed.

My improved a ssembly is especially designed to be incorporated in theconventional form of double-hung wooden sash windows, particularly thosedesigned to permit the disposal of weights, balances or likeaccessories. Being afiixed to the outside faces of the sashes and notrecessed and confined within the body thereof or depressed withininaccessible adjacent parts of the window frame, the parts of saidassembly are at all times readily accessible for inspection, removal,replacement or repair. Also, all of the parts of said assembly being ofmetal, and all sliding engagements of said parts being limited to metalcontacts, and the sashes being separately suspended solely by andthrough the construction, connection and operation of said parts, allfrictional contacts of wood to wood of said sashes are avoided, andgreat freedom of movement of said sashes is thereby accomplished Thepresent application is a continuation in part and includes substantiallyall of the disclosure presented in my earlier copending application,Serial No. 471,746, filed November 29, 1954, which has now becomeabandoned and entitled Spring Loaded, Guide Track Con- 2,800,687Patented July 30, 19 57 trol for Double Hung Windows, and I reserve suchdate for all common subject matter set forth therein.

Attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawing, illustrating apreferred form of my invention, in which drawing, similar numerals ofdesignation refer to similar parts throughout the several views and inwhich- 7 V p Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional View of a pair of woodensashes of a double-hung window, showing the application to the outsideface of each of said sashes and the window frame of one of the metallicspring loaded guide track assemblies herein referred to;

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the sashes and adjac'ent parts shownin Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows 2-2, and

Fig. 3 is a side elevationary view of the assembly shown in Fig. 1,looking in the same direction as Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the double-hung window there shown isconventional in form, and includes the lower or inside sash 4, the upperor outside sash 5, parting strip 6, and lights 7 and 8. To each of saidsashes in the manner shortly to be described is firmly secured one ofthe guide track assemblies 9 and 10, embodying my invention, and each ofwhich is similar in construction to,- and a counterpart of, the other.

Each of said assemblies accordingly may be described as comprising thechanneled housing 11, undulating flat buffer tension spring 12, double13 and guide track 14. The housing 11 is in the form of an elongatedstrip ex: tending vertically over the outer face of the sash, preferablyfrom the top to the bottom thereof, and having at one side a wide flange15 secured to said sash by flat headed screws 16, extending throughopenings in said flange provided therefor, and evenly spaced apart; theopposite side of said housing having formed therein and co-extensivetherewith, the channel 17 located in parallel relation with the adjacentedge of said sash. Inserted within said channel is the tension spring12, the ends .18 and 19 of which are secured to the bottom of saidchannel by the rivets 20. As shown in Fig. 2, the said said spring isformed with the outwardly projecting bows 21 and 22; the middle portion23 of said spring curving inwardly and positioned to contact the end ofthe adjusting screw 24 in threaded engagement with the tapped opening 25extending through the bottom of said channel, and through the double 13.Through adjustment of the screw 24, the outward extension or retentionof the bows 21 and 22 may readily be regulated in the manner hereinafterto be described.

The guide track 14, of each of said assemblies is in the form of aflange rail, the longitudinally extending head 25, web 27 and flange 28,all of which are secured to the face of the window frame or casing 29 byflat headed screws 30 extending therethrough; the said rail being shapedand positioned to be inserted within and to make sliding engagement withthe channel 17, and to be coextensive top to bottom therewith.Preferably, the longitudinally extending head 26 of said rail is formedat spaced recurrent intervals with the arcuate recesses 31 and 32 shapedand located to receive and to make engaging contact with the bow 21 ofthe spring 12, upon the vertical movement of the housing to which saidspring is attached. Preferably, the lower portion of each of saidrecesses is a pocket formed to retard the downward movement of the bowcontacting therewith upon becoming seated therein, but has its upperportion merging below into a tapered approach thereto thereby permittingthe said how gradually to be compressed upon the upward movement of thesash, and thereupon allowing said bow readily to be smoothly releasedfrom its engaging contact with said lower portion of the recess. (SeeFig. 2.)

ice

Since all of the parts of my improved assembly are of metal, andattached to the outside faces of the wooden sashes in the manner abovedescribed, and friction confined to contacting metallic parts while thesashes are being raised or lowered, clearance is maintained at'all timesbetween the adjacent wooden faces of said sashes and between the woodenedge portions of said sashes and adjacent wooden sides of the frames,and all frietion wood to wood avoided. One advantage, of this form ofconstruction is that it permits the painting of the inside surface ofthe frame so that thereafter such paining will not be marred, scratchedor defaced by frictional contacts of the opposed wooden surfaces ofadjacent sashes; all such contactsbeing avoided as aforesaid. Also, theextended walls of the channel 17 of the housing 11, in close clearancefrom the sides of the guide track 14, and the sides of the tensionspring, tends to eliminate window rattling and'to shut out drafts nowgenerally present in conventional. double windows. The buffer springs12together with the'bow 21, hearing against the extended head of the railforming the guide track 14, and the arcuate recesses 31 and 32 thereof,limit the side motion of the sash, and tend to bring about and preservethe undeviating movement up and down of said sash. These springs andrecesses, therefore, are also provided, in order to attain ease ofoperation and a minimum amount of spring pressure, and to furnishselective definite window opening positions.

My invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment as above set forth is therefore to be considered in allrespects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of my inventionbeing indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which may come within the meaning and rangeof equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embracedthere- 1. In a spring loaded guide track assembly for doublehung sashes,the combination of an extended metallic channelled'housing; means forsecuring said housing to the outside face of one of said sashes, alongitudinally extending guide-track co-extensive with said housing andsecured to the window casing in sliding engagement with the channel ofsaid housing; and a fiat tension spring secured to the bottom of saidchannel, said spring having projecting bows in sliding frictionalcontact with said guide-track and an inwardly extending bow adjustablysecured to the bottom of said channel; said guide-track having thereinrecesses shaped to receive said projecting bows when moved in contacttherewith; all of the parts of said assembly being of metal, and allsliding engagements of the sashes being limited solely to metal contactsof said assembly.

2. The subject matter of claim 1, the bottom portion of each of saidrecesses being a curved pocket retard- What I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:'

ing the downward movement of'the bow contacting therewith upon becomingseated therein, and the upper portion of each of said recesses merginginto a tapered approach thereto from above, thereby permitting gradualcompression of the bow upon upward movement thereof and smooth releasefrom engaging contact with the lower portion of its said recess.

3. In a spring loaded guide track assembly for doublehung sashes withwooden sashes enclosed by a window casing, the combination of anextended metallic channelled housing; means for securing said housing tothe outside face of one of said sashes; a longitudinally extendingguide-track co-extensive with said housing and secured to the windowcasing in sliding engagement with the channel of said housing; and aflat tension spring secured at its ends to the bottom of said channel,said spring having projecting bows in sliding frictional contact withsaid guide-track and an inwardly extending bow adjustably secured to thebottom of said channel; all of the parts of said assembly being ofmetal, and all sliding engagements of the sashes being limited to metalcontacts, whereby the suspension of said sashes is effected solely bysaid assembly and contacts wood to wood avoided.

4. In a spring loaded guide track assembly for doublehung sashes withwooden sashes enclosed by a window casing, the combination of anextended metallic channelled housing; means for securing said housing tothe outside face of one of said sashes; a longitudinally extendingguide-track co-extensive with said housing and secured to the windowcasing in sliding engagement with the channel of said housing; and aflat tension spring secured at its ends to the bottom of said channel,said spring having projecting bows in sliding frictional contact withsaid guide-track, and an inwardly extending bow ad: justably secured tothe bottom of said channel; said guide-track having therein recessesshaped to receive said projecting bows when moved in contact therewith;all of the parts of said assembly being of metal, and all slidingengagements of the sashes being limited to metal contacts, whereby thesuspension of said sashes is effected solely by said assembly andcontacts wood to wood avoided.

5. The subject matter of claim 4, the bottom portion of each of saidrecesses being a curved pocket retarding the downward movement of thebow contacting therewith becoming seated therein, and the upper portionof each of said recesses merging into a tapered approach thereto fromabove, thereby permitting gradual compression of the bow upon upwardmovement thereof and smooth release from engaging contact with the lowerportion of its said recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,186,139 Shipley June 6, 1916

